Numerous software-based electrical power design systems are known for designing and simulating electrical power distribution network systems. In particular, software has been developed that models and assists with the design of large electrical power distribution facilities, i.e. facilities that distribute power on the power grids for regional areas of electrical power distribution. Such software may include simulation and design functions that assist in determining short circuit problems, load flows, transient stabilities, harmonics, arcing, power station management and other aspects of a large electrical power distribution system. Such software is typically data-intensive in that the user must have an intimate working knowledge and engineering expertise associated with the design and modeling of electrical power distribution systems to use the software. Operation of this software typically involves the user's entry of a significant body of data related to the intended system upon which the software assists in determining the system's design criteria. For example, design criteria for electrical power distribution network systems may include transformer sizes, transmission line wire sizes, transmission line phases and loads sizes, load flows, e.g. unbalanced load flows and voltage drop calculations, short circuit determinations, e.g. transient short circuit currents, interrupting duty calculations, and motor accelerations. Such detailed input is required to provide plots and graphical displays of power flows, and transient stability for the design and modeling of the electrical power distribution network system. Thus, due to the complex nature of large electrical power distribution network systems, the calculations performed by existing software are not typically automated. However, in certain aspects, the software may allow the designer to quickly identify problems and shortcomings of the intended electrical design based on the output from the software in combination with the electrical engineer's knowledge.
Other electrical system design software has been developed that provides a graphical means to lay out and model the performance of an electrical system. In particular, existing software provides assistance with the design of electrical systems within either power distribution environments associated with large electrical power plants or within buildings wherein the user will specify electrical requirement needs to be met and the software will provide related design criteria. Specifically, data related to the feeder circuits for a building or an electrical power plant may be provided to these software modules so that the engineer may manually determine the appropriate electrical characteristics of distribution panel boards (hereinafter all panel boards are referred to simply as “panels”) complying with the design intentions of electrical building system. This software may include modeling features that enable the designer to graphically lay out the electrical panel board and its associated electrical loads according to standard electrical diagramming symbol formats, for example, for inclusion on a schematic. Such software may also provide libraries of components for use in the generation and creation of these electrical diagrams. From the electrical system schematics and layouts created with this software, electrical system modeling and analyses may be performed once all the required electrical system components and performance characteristics are determined and provided by the engineer. Such required data may include power flow and voltage drop calculations, fault analysis options, demand load analysis, feeder and transformer sizing calculations, motor starting calculations, and other high-level electrical design criteria. Thus these software modules are specifically programmed to address the schematic layout needs, the generation of reports and the analysis and resulting performance of new or existing, pre-designed, electrical power distribution systems.
Still other electrical design and analysis software provides a more fundamental modeling and reporting output regarding electrical power distribution systems within a building. This software provides layout, reporting and analysis of a lower-level electrical circuit design, for example at the electrical panel distribution level and building circuit level. Such software to date, however, has been limited in that it has not provided a designer of such power distribution centers with a bottom-up approach to the specification and design of such electrical power distribution systems.
Thus the need exists for electrical engineering design software that automates the design of an electrical power distribution system on a circuit-by-circuit, bottom-up basis, while also ensuring that the resulting system is in compliance with electrical codes. None of the existing software for electrical system design allow the users of such software to input individual circuit data from which information and design criteria related to those circuits is automatically created and upon which the higher level electrical power distribution system information may be automatically generated. For example, none of the existing software is capable of taking user-input branch circuit information and automatically creating distribution panel board information there from. Further, the software should have the capability to automatically recalculate all design information according to particular design criteria and/or electrical codes, particularly when the branch circuit information is modified dynamically. Finally, all the above calculations should involve information related to the design specification and selection of branch circuit components such as branch circuit panel board sizes, circuit breaker sizes and wiring specifications as well as and including distribution panel board information related thereto.